Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Krishna consciousness in Portugal is surprisingly recent. Although there were several attempts by devotees to preach there in the 1970s and 1980s, ISKCON Lisbon was born as late as 1996, as a gift to Srila Prabhupada for his Centennial.
Iskcon Delhi: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Disappearance Day: 07-12-2017 (Album with photos)
Prabhupada: “Prasadam is the most important thing to bring people out of darkness.”
Sravanananda: In Vrindavan, we would go every morning in the early days when it was just huts and a little bit of cement and steel going up.
We would take a mat and Prabhupada would sit on the side of the road, call over mayavadis and then get into a heated debate with them.
They were always respectful, however, but Prabhupada was showing us the fierceness of challenging mayavadi philosophy.
I once asked, “Srila Prabhupada, people are so stuck in darkness.
How do you tell a person who’s blind, that there’s vision, that there’s light even though they’ve never experienced it.”
Prabhupada said, “Prasadam.”
He said, “Prasadam is the most important thing to bring people out of darkness.”
That hit home for me because that pretty much was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me joining the temple because the prasadam broke my attachment to anything.
It was Govardhan Puja.
Prabhupada’s program of prasadam cannot be found in any other yoga group.
In those early days in the temples, the prasadam was just amazing.
The devotees had so much love and devotion, and it was opulent.
We were violently sick at the Mayapur festival in either 1974 or 1975.
In those days, they were using very bad oils to cook with.
Literally everyone was so ill that we could barely pay obeisances to Prabhupada.
Prabhupada walked around where we were sprawled out and he was very disturbed that everyone was so sick.
He immediately ordered that the homeopathic doctor be called.
When the doctor arrived, he put a pill in everyone’s mouth as Prabhupada walked with him and watched over the process.
Literally within minutes after the pill went in our mouth, we woke up out of a slumber of unconsciousness and a horrific disease to being almost fully conscious.
We were bewildered and thought to ourselves, “What just happened?”
I never thought about it too much until decades later when I really felt that Prabhupada was performing a miracle.
To this day I don’t believe that one little white pill could have made us go from such a state of diseased consciousness and dysentery to be standing up and ready to do service again.
It was such a short time frame from being so bad to so good that it had to have been a miracle by Prabhupada’s grace.
There was a time in Mayapur that I remember with Srila Prabhupada that I can only describe as transcendental.
Prabhupada sat on the vyasasana and became very grave.
It was very bright outside but in a short period of time, the light in the temple seemed to be disappearing and dissipating, almost like a cloud covering the sun.
Everybody became very sober.
Instead of singing “Jaya Radha Madhava”, Prabhupada started talking and as the light changed within the temple, Prabhupada’s color also seemed to change.
Prabhupada said, “In your previous life, you were all associates of Lord Chaitanya.
He said, “Somehow or other, I have been designated or assigned as the captain of this ship.
But you have actually done everything to spread this Krishna consciousness.”
Then Prabhupada went into ecstasy.
He just sat there, went into ecstasy, and the whole room was frozen in time.
Everybody was feeling it because everyone was looking at one another and whispering, “Are you feeling this?”
Prabhupada didn’t speak for a long time.
I don’t think anybody wanted this experience to stop.
All of a sudden off to the right side of the temple, I remember Hamsadutta picked up a mridanga and he started to chant Hare Krishna.
His chanting seemed to break the almost samadhi like ecstatic mood.
I felt some anger towards Hamsadutta for breaking the ecstatic wave that we were all feeling together in this boat with our captain.
Later the devotees went to Prabhupada and asked, “Prabhupada, when this happens to you, is this what we should do?”
Prabhupada said, “Yes, that’s okay, but it doesn’t happen so often, does it?”
I can’t grade every experience but I would say this was one of the most directly ecstatic, powerful experiences that I have ever felt.
—Sravanananda
The joy of Krishna consciousness (video)
Sunday Feast By Shubhag Swami at Iskcon Chowpatty on the 3rd of Dec 2017.
Watch i...
Wonderful news for our Lithuanian devotees! The BBT has just released the Lithuanian TQK in eBook format. 
This video will tell you about simple and effective tips to distribute cases of Bhagavat Gita to your friend, relatives, colleagues and people in general. 
Launching the world's first Vaishnava cab service in India 
The premiere of the film “Hare Krishna!” in Ukraine (Album with photos)
On December 5, the premiere of the film “Hare Krishna! Mantra, Movement and Swami” was held in Ukraine’s capital Kiev.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2JBofi
An angered student finds a solution!
He saw my sign: Meditation, Yoga and Philosophy, then, from a distance he shouted:
“THIS IS WHAT I NEED! THIS IS WHAT I NEED! ANGER IS EATING ME UP.” Then he came to the book table looking for help.
I told him, “The reason you feel so much anger is because you’re thinking you’re something you aren’t. This body – I pointed to his body – is not who you are. You’re the soul within.”
Then I showed him the nice painting of the saintly person seeing the soul in the brahmana, the cow, the elephant, the dog, and the dog-eater.
I said, “When you understand you’re the soul, different from the body, you’ll not only be friendly to people but kind to all living entities. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
He said, “That would be great. And this book teaches me how to be like that?”
I responded, “Yes, it does.”
He gave a nice donation, and I invited him to visit a devotee’s home that has been turned into a bhakti center, where newcomers can hear about Krsna.
This took place at a university in Dallas Texas. The students in Dallas are the most receptive students I’ve found anywhere, I’m going to miss this place.
Leaving soon to Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles, Australia, India, South America etc.
Your servant,
Vijaya Dasa
Radha Kunda Seva - November 2017 Photos and Updates (Album with photos)
As the air turns crisp and cool, and the flurry of Kartika returns to a normal flow, we have our sights set on the south side of Govardhan. There are two kundas, or lakes at the puchari, or tail of Govardhan. These kundas, called Apsara Kunda and Navala Kunda are the Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda of the southern tip of Govardhan, and they are badly in need of care. An initial deep clean is under way with daily maintenance cleaning to begin shortly. We are hoping to soon expand our cleaning efforts to other kundas around Govardhan too and will keep you posted about our progress in this endeavor. There is even a possibility that the Forestry Department will give us stretch of land to develop as a lush, clean and green forest right near Govardhan Hill. Meanwhile, we are networking with specialists to find ways to treat the kundas’ waters in order to balance and nullify the effects of sewage seepage. Prasadam distribution and cleaning continue. Thank you for your continued support! Please browse our latest photos and join our efforts by visiting www.radharani.com . Your servants, Campakalata Devi dasi, Padma Gopi Devi dasi, Sri Arjuna dasa, Urmila Devi Dasi, and Mayapurcandra dasa.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/FBZFMm
The post Daily Darshan: December 07, 2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, Evening Class)
If Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura would be with us today then he would be a BBT man because he was trained by this father, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, in publishing books. He published so many varieties of books and magazines. Book distribution is a natural thing…
Srila Prabhupada was carrying forward that mood of his spiritual master. Even in the war in 1944, Srila Prabhupada produced a ‘Back to Godhead’ magazine as part of his mission. This was very difficult to do because all the paper was rationed. It was reserved for the war and Prabhupada went to a military commander who said, “Sorry, sir. We cannot give you any paper. It is all reserved for the war.”
“Exactly,” Prabhupada said, “This is why my magazine must be printed because it will end the war.” And he got the paper and printed his magazine.
He started an editorial article, “The frenzy of love and the frenzy of hate.” Hate is the opposite of love. The love for one’s fatherland is the hate for another land. Prabhupada spoke about that – that narrow love of excluding; exclusive love. So in that editorial article, he gave his transcendental universal message in that first Back to Godhead magazine.
By Mahatma Das If I wrote an article telling you how to double your money in ten days, would you be interested? Of course you would. Well if I knew how I’d tell you. But I don’t, so sorry. But I can tell you something better. I can tell you how to double your blessings in ten days. Are you as interested? Continue reading "Double Blessings for Christmas
→ Dandavats"
By Chaitanya Charan das Material desires comprise a similar gravity force that acts on us by dragging our consciousness down to the material level. If we neglect this force, our consciousness will naturally, obviously, inevitably, be pulled down by it to sensual contemplations, and we will fall from our devotional standards to disaster. Continue reading "Why does our consciousness change suddenly from devotional to sensual?
→ Dandavats"
By Giriraj SwamiTerrible, deadly fires have been raging in California recently, devastating homes and everything else on their way. I recalled Srila Prabhupada’s discussion of the first verse of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s Sri Gurv-astaka. “This forest fire of material existence goes on perpetually, and the authorized person who can deliver you from this fire is called guru, the spiritual master. How does he deliver you? When there is a fire in the forest, you cannot send a fire brigade or go there yourself with bucketfuls of water to extinguish it. That is not possible. Then how will it be extinguished? Continue reading "Reflections on the Forest Fires
→ Dandavats"
Answer Podcast
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Terrible forest fires have bee
n raging around Ventura and Ojai, California, devastating homes and everything else on their way. I recalled Srila Prabhupada’s discussion of the first verse of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s Sri Gurv-astaka:
“The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.”
Srila Prabhupada explained, “This forest fire of material existence goes on perpetually, and the authorized person who can deliver you from this fire is called guru, the spiritual master. How does he deliver you? When there is a fire in the forest, you cannot send a fire brigade or go there yourself with bucketfuls of water to extinguish it. That is not possible. Then how will it be extinguished? You need water to extinguish fire, but where will the water come from? It must come from the sky. Only when there are torrents of rain from the sky will the blazing forest fire be extinguished. These rains from the sky do not depend on your scientific manipulation. They depend on the mercy of the Supreme Lord. So the spiritual master is compared to a cloud. Just as there are torrents of rain from a cloud, so the spiritual master brings mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A cloud takes water from the sea. It doesn’t have its own water but takes water from the sea. Similarly, the spiritual master brings mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
“We are all suffering in this blazing fire of material existence. But the spiritual master brings the message from the Supreme Lord and delivers it to you, and if you accept it, you’ll be satisfied.
samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
Thus the spiritual master is offered obeisances: ‘Sir, you have brought mercy from the Supreme Lord; therefore, we are much obliged to you. You have come to deliver us, so we offer our respectful obeisances.’ That is the meaning of this verse: The first qualification of the spiritual master, or guru, is that he brings you the message to stop the blazing fire in your heart.
“Everyone has a blazing fire within his heart—a blazing fire of anxiety. That is the nature of material existence. Always, everyone has anxiety; no one is free from it. Even a small bird has anxiety. If you give the small bird some grains to eat, he’ll eat them, but he won’t eat very peacefully. He’ll look this way and that way—‘Is somebody coming to kill me?’ This is material existence. Everyone, even a president like Mr. Nixon, is full of anxieties, what to speak of others. Even Gandhi, in our country—he was full of anxiety. All politicians are full of anxiety. They may hold a very exalted post, but still the material disease—anxiety—is there.
“So if you want to be anxiety-less, then you must take shelter of guru, the spiritual master. And the test of the guru is that by following his instructions you’ll be free from anxiety. If you want to keep a guru as a fashion—‘I have a guru’—that will not help. You must accept a guru who can extinguish the blazing fire of anxiety within your heart.”
In Ojai, the fires came close to Urvasi dasi’s home and then receded. In Ventura, they were close to Krishna Kirtan and Kandarpa Manjari’s house but then changed direction. By Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna’s mercy, they were saved. (We are still praying for them.) But in another sense, all of us have been saved by Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna’s mercy, by following their instructions.
Hare Krishna.
Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, is my grand spiritual master, but I feel that I never really knew him that well until I read his biography Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava by my godbrother Bhakti Vikasa Swami. Many of the quotes and references below come from that work, which has helped bring me closer to my spiritual grandfather.
We are all here by the mercy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There’s a line through which the mercy descends upon us, beginning with Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and passing, one teacher after the other, through parampara, or disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago Krsna came in His original form and in the Bhagavad-gita (9.34, 18.65) He instructed, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto: “Always think of Me and become My devotee.” Five hundred years ago the same Lord Krsna came again, in the devotional form of Sri Krsna Caitanya, to explain and personally show how to be a devotee and always think of Krsna. Lord Caitanya quoted a verse from the Brhan-naradiya Purana (38.126):
harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
“One should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of Hari, Krsna. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in the present age of Kali.” He also desired and predicted:
prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama
“In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be propagated.” (Cb 3.4.126) He expressed this desire and prediction at a time when it was almost impossible to imagine or believe that it could happen.
In the 1800s Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura began the effort to spread the holy name of Krsna to countries outside India. He wrote a small book in English called Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts and dispatched copies to libraries around the world. In recent years Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have discovered copies in libraries from Canada (McGill University) to Australia. Bhaktivinoda Thakura yearned for the day when devotees from all over the world would unite in harinama-sankirtana and wrote, “Very soon the unparalleled path of harinama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the planet. . . . Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mrdangas, and karatalas and perform kirtana through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of ‘Jaya Sacinandana, jaya Sacinandana ki jaya!’ and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be?” (Sajjana-tosani)
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a very powerful spiritual master, acarya. After the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates, many unscrupulous people claiming to be Mahaprabhu’s followers introduced concocted philosophies and practices—even illicit activities—to the point that if an educated Bengali heard the word “Vaisnava,” he would immediately think the worst. In educated circles, “Vaisnava” had come to mean a sentimental, ignorant person with loose character who, in the guise of religion, engaged in all sorts of activities. In this precarious situation, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura came forward and presented the true understanding of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, speaking strongly against the deviant groups that had distorted and perverted His pure teachings and practices.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura held a high position in the British rule of India—the highest an Indian could hold, and then only very rarely. He had important responsibilities in the government and had a large family, but his main interest was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the sankirtana movement. He would sleep little and rise early. He did so much—wrote books, traveled, preached, established centers—and had a tremendous effect, especially on the people of Bengal and Orissa, including the intellectual elite who were just then coming in touch with modern ideas from the West. He revived the true mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, inspiring hosts of people to join him, and pushed back the deviant groups, which lost much of their influence.
Having undertaken such a tremendous task and executed it so successfully but still being surrounded by so many parties with vested interests in covering the true intention of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was at a loss as to who would carry on his mission. So he prayed to Sri Krsna to send one of His own associates from the spiritual realm to continue the work. It is understood that the appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the answer to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s prayers.
There are many incidents from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s early life that indicate he was that person sent by Krsna. When he was five months old, the Ratha-yatra cart halted in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s home in Puri, and the Thakura directed his wife, Bhagavati Devi, to carry the baby to the chariot. When the infant was placed at the lotus feet of Lord Jagannatha, he extended his tiny arms to touch the Deity’s feet, and Lord Jagannatha dropped one of His garlands around the baby—a blessing and a confirmation of his divine descent.
Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati understood his father’s mission and worked with him to fulfill it. His father initiated him into the chanting of the holy name (hari-nama), the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, but according to etiquette, a father does not give actual diksa to his son. So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura instructed him to approach Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, a great maha-bhagavata, fully self-realized, liberated soul, for diksa. But Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a renounced bhajananandi and not inclined to accept disciples; he preferred to just immerse himself in chanting the holy names and hearing scripture.
When Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati approached him, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja told him directly that he would not accept him or anyone else as a disciple. Still, Siddhanta Sarasvati persisted, so Babaji Maharaja told him, “I will ask Mahaprabhu.” A few days later, when Siddhanta Sarasvati returned and inquired, “What was Mahaprabhu’s order?” Babaji Maharaja replied, “I forgot to ask.” And when he came for the third time, Babaji Maharaja directly refused him: “Mahaprabhu has not given permission.”
Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was devastated. He stood up and quoted a line by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, addressed to the guru—karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya, prana na rakhibo ara: “If you are not merciful to me, I will simply weep, and I will not be able to maintain my life.” When Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja understood how sincere and serious Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was, he accepted him as his disciple and initiated him.
Five years later, in 1905, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati undertook a vow to chant at least three lakh holy names daily, or ten million monthly, until he had chanted one billion holy names. For his disciples, Srila Prabhupada fixed the minimum number of sixteen rounds per day, which takes most devotees about two hours. Four times sixteen is sixty-four rounds, or one lakh names. And three times sixty-four rounds comes to three hundred thousand names, which would take us, even at a good rate, at least sixteen hours a day. In Mayapur, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati constructed a grass hut, where he lived very simply and chanted day and night. If rain came and leaked through the thatched roof, he would just hold up an umbrella and continue chanting: “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
Completing his vow took more than nine years, but even then, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati would write, preach, and serve the dhama.
One program he attended was especially significant. In Bengal the caste brahmanas had a stranglehold on religious people’s practices. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had spoken openly against them and their false claim, based on their supposed high birth, that they possessed exclusive rights to be gurus and perform brahminical functions. Naturally, when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati challenged them, the brahmanas reacted. An assembly of smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis (caste Gosvamis) came together to try to refute the arguments of the pure Vaisnavas and published a tract against them. In response, the Vaisnavas called a three-day public meeting to discuss the relative positions of brahmanas and Vaisnavas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was expected to be the main speaker, but severe rheumatism had rendered him bedridden.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura himself was not born in a brahmana family, and obviously, neither was his son. Now, the question may be raised, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a ray of Visnu, an eternal associate of Krsna’s sent from the spiritual realm to the material world to preach—Krsna could have arranged for him to take birth in the highest class of brahmana family, with all the brahminical qualifications, but He didn’t. Why not? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explains that the Lord does not arrange for pure devotees to take birth only in high-class families, with all the advantages of good health, education, culture, wealth, strength, and so on, because ordinary people would feel discouraged. They would think, “Oh, I didn’t take birth in a high-class family; I didn’t have this or that advantage. What is the hope for me?” So great souls take birth in various kinds of families to show us the example that anyone in any condition—even if not born in a brahmana family—can become Krsna conscious, and to give us hope that we too can be Krsna conscious.
So, after the publication of the caste brahmanas’ tract, on the eve of the public meeting to be convened by the Vaisnavas, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was incapacitated, and he cried out in desperation, “Is there no one in the Vaisnava world who can reply to these people and by presenting scriptural evidence and logic put a stop to their base activities?” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati took up the challenge, wrote an essay called “Conclusion Regarding the Comparison of Brahmanas and Vaisnavas,” and went to the meeting.
Many caste brahmanas, although not invited, also attended. Understanding that Bhaktivinoda Thakura was indisposed and unable to be there, they swaggered about, confident that they would easily triumph over the Vaisnavas.
Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was the first speaker. He began by quoting various statements from scripture about the exalted position of brahmanas, and the caste brahmanas in the audience were delighted. He was so brilliant that he could speak better about the high position of brahmanas than the brahmanas themselves. But then he began quoting verses from scripture about the position of Vaisnavas, establishing that Vaisnavas were higher than even brahmanas and that irrespective of one’s birth, if one accepted the Vaisnava principles he would attain a position more exalted than that of a brahmana. The brahmanas in the audience were completely overwhelmed. Seeing no way to counter Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati’s arguments, the smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis slinked away.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura felt assured that his mission was in capable hands, that Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was a worthy successor to continue his cause. And Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati began to preach far and wide. He was fearless and open in his criticism of anything false. His example and instructions are relevant to us today.
Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a prodigious writer and speaker, on various topics, including how to present the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He noted that there are people who think that you should say only positive—not negative—things. I experienced that when I was in Madras. I was just preaching as I had heard Srila Prabhupada preach, and people reacted. Even friends, people who were hosting me and supporting me, advised me, “Don’t criticize others. Just say positively what you want about your philosophy and activities, but don’t criticize others.” Srila Sarasvati Thakura addressed this very issue and averred that it is imperative not only to elucidate the truth but also to criticize anything false, because in Kali-yuga there is so much false propaganda that we have to be very clear; there cannot be any ambiguity in our message:
The positive method by itself is not the most effective method of propaganda in a controversial age like the present. The negative method, which seeks to differentiate the truth from non-truth in all its forms, is even better calculated to convey the directly inconceivable significance of the Absolute. It is a necessity which cannot be conscientiously avoided by the dedicated preacher of the truth if he wants to be a loyal servant of Godhead. The method is sure to create an atmosphere of controversy in which it is quite easy to lose one’s balance of judgment. But the ways of the deluding energy are so intricate that unless their mischievous nature is fully exposed, it is not possible for the soul in the conditioned state to avoid the snares spread by the enchantress [Maya] for encompassing the ruin of her only too willing victims. It is a duty which shall be sacred to all who have been enabled to attain even a distant glimpse of the Absolute.
Srila Prabhupada also demonstrated this approach. He had a friend named Dr. Patel who would always accompany him on his morning walks on Juhu Beach and converse with him. Dr. Patel was quite literate, he knew Sanskrit, and he was quite sharp. One morning, Dr. Patel started praising a revered popular religious figure of India, and Srila Prabhupada, in turn, began to criticize the figure. Dr. Patel protested, “You cannot criticize like this.” But Srila Prabhupada replied, “I am not saying; Krsna is saying—na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah: if you are not surrendered to Krsna, you are a miscreant in one of these categories—fool, rascal, demon.”
Dr. Patel became agitated and raised his voice, and Srila Prabhupada raised his. The whole situation became very tense and very intense. Finally, Dr. Patel’s friends dragged him away. It was like in a boxing ring when the bell rings to signal the end of the fight and the two opponents just keep going at each other and their corner men have to pull them apart.
For the first time, Dr. Patel stopped coming for the morning walks, and Srila Prabhupada also said, “Now no more discussion. We will only read Krsna book.” But after a couple of days, as Dr. Patel explains it, with no intention of joining Srila Prabhupada—he was walking from one direction on the beach, and Prabhupada from the other—something in his heart just drew him to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. He offered obeisance and said, “Prabhupada, I am sorry, but we are trained to respect all the accredited saints of India.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, and our business is to point out who is not a saint.” He had learned that from his guru maharaja, Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. We not only tell who is a saint; we also explain who is not a saint. And that is the mercy of the Vaisnava, so people know clearly what is what; otherwise, they can be misled and suffer.
Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a tremendously powerful and successful preacher who fearlessly spoke the truth. And his pure preaching inspired hundreds of thousands of people to support him, follow him, join him, and become his disciples.
Yet he also had enemies. He himself was the enemy of falsehood, and people who were thriving on falsehood sometimes became his enemy. There were many incidents. Once, when he and his party were performing navadvipa-parikrama, the caste brahmanas hired gundas, or thugs, and they let loose on the party with a volley of stones and boulders. They were really aiming to take Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s life. (There were attempts on his life on other occasions as well.) But one of his disciples cleverly exchanged his white dress for Sarasvati Thakura’s saffron, so Sarasvati Thakura emerged disguised and escaped. But it was a terrible scene. It looked like a massacre, with the streets of Navadvipa stained with the blood of the Vaisnavas. Some devotees suffered gashes and fractures, but by Krsna’s grace no one was killed.
It was a dark, dark moment, but when it came to light that the attack had been perpetrated by the caste Gosvamis, the shocked public sided with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and the Gaudiya Matha, and the caste Gosvamis’ opposition to him lost whatever credibility it had. As news of the event spread, those in learned circles protested in newspapers and magazines. The chief police inspector in Navadvipa was sacked, and the parikrama continued under full police protection. Later, when urged to press charges against the culprits, Srila Sarasvati Thakura declined, saying that the hooligans had done a yeoman’s service—otherwise how could the Gaudiya Matha have been featured on the front pages of all the newspapers? Srila Sarasvati Thakura was the enemy of falsehood, but he was the well-wisher of everyone, even of people who were inimical to him.
Although Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was so austere and rigid, so strict with himself, when it came to preaching he was ready to spend any amount of money and do anything. When I was first serving in India, in 1970, only affluent people could afford cars, mainly the locally manufactured Fiats and Ambassadors. But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had a limousine—back in the 1930s. And he dressed nicely. He would always wear a dhoti, but on occasion, as required, he would also don a double-breasted coat, stockings, and shoes. For receiving special guests, he had fine furniture. Thus, referring to the elite, he said, “We are preaching by approaching the people of the world dressed even somewhat better than they, showing knowledge even somewhat greater than theirs, being even somewhere more stylish than they—without which they would think us worthless and not listen to our hari-katha. . . . I have to go to various places for propagating hari-katha, so I must present myself as a learned and decent gentleman; otherwise nondevotees will not give me their time.”
He used all means to broadcast the message of Krsna. He had dioramas and other exhibits made, using the latest technologies, and staged huge Theistic Exhibitions. He built a grand marble temple on the banks of the Ganges at Bag-bazar in Calcutta. The procession that brought the deities on a beautiful ratha, chariot, from the matha at Ultadangi to the new temple was enormous. Literally millions of people lined the streets along the two-mile route, which took four hours to traverse, and twenty-five thousand men, divided into forty-three groups, accompanied the deities with loud harinama-sankirtana. For its work, the Gaudiya Matha owned four cars, a horse and buggy, an elephant, and a camel. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati would treat prominent guests to excursions on the Ganges in one of the Matha’s launches and expound hari-katha to them.
In January of 1935 the governor of Bengal, Sri John Anderson, visited Mayapur. This was a major event, because the Britishers were the rulers, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura was one of their subjects, their vassals. Still, the governor, accompanied by many other dignitaries, came all the way to Mayapur to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and see his work.
In spite of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s tremendous purity and potency and success as a preacher, there were disconcerting signs within his own institution that some of his leading disciples were becoming materially infected. With so much opulence, facility, fame, and respect, some of them had become distracted. Instead of realizing that all the facility was meant for the service of the Lord, to bring people to the Lord’s unalloyed service, they were enjoying the facilities and the adulation. In an effort to reform them, Srila Sarasvati Thakura spoke strongly, and he restricted the use of certain facilities—only for service, only for preaching—to curb the devotees’ materialistic tendencies. (Of course, he also had many sincere disciples, who did not become materially affected.) At the same time, Srila Sarasvati Thakura continued his propaganda activities in full force, with all enthusiasm—writing, publishing, traveling, and preaching—and was successful wherever he went. Still, he was disturbed that some of his disciples had become so mundane.
Ultimately, when Srila Sarasvati Thakura reached the age of sixty-two, his health declined, and he made statements indicating that he would soon be leaving. In late October 1936 he traveled to Puri, a holy place that was also warmer than Calcutta. But for some reason, in December, in a very weakened condition, he wanted to return to Calcutta, and his disciples arranged for him to travel by train. One poignant incident took place when he was about to leave. A householder told his young son, “This may be the last time you see him,” and the boy offered full, flat obeisances to Srila Sarasvati Thakura, who noted the child’s devotion.
In Calcutta Sarasvati Thakura’s disciples called in some of the most renowned physicians in the city. When one advised him, “You have to rest more. You can’t speak so much,” Sarasvati Thakura proceeded to preach to the man, for hours, about the purpose of human life, that the physical body is temporary and that the soul’s absolute necessity is to serve the Lord. He felt that if he couldn’t speak about Krsna, what would be the use of living? We’re here on this planet only for the sake of serving and broadcasting the glories of Sri Krsna.
On December 23 Srila Sarasvati Thakura instructed the devotees gathered at his bedside:
I have upset many persons’ minds. Many might have considered me their enemy, because I was obliged to speak the plain truth of service and devotion towards the Absolute Godhead. I have given them all those troubles only so they might turn their face toward the Personality of Godhead without any desire for gain and with unalloyed devotion. Surely some day they will be able to understand that.
I advise all to preach the teachings of Rupa-Raghunatha [two of the Six Gosvamis, direct disciples of Lord Caitanya] with all energy and resources. Our ultimate goal shall be to become the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Rupa and Raghunatha Gosvamis. You should all work conjointly under the guidance of your spiritual master with a view to serve the Absolute Knowledge, the Personality of Godhead. You should live somehow or other without any quarrel in this mortal world only for the service of Godhead. Do not, please, give up the service of Godhead, in spite of all dangers, all criticisms, and all discomforts. Do not be disappointed, for most people in the world do not serve the Personality of Godhead; do not give up your own service, which is your everything and all, neither reject the process of chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of Godhead. You should always chant the transcendental name of Godhead with patience and forbearance like a tree and humbleness like a straw . . . There are many amongst you who are well qualified and able workers. We have no other desire whatsoever.
After midnight on December 31, Srila Sarasvati Thakura left this world. His disciples took his body to Mayapur and established his samadhi there.
He was a monumental personality. News of his departure was broadcast on All-India Radio, and an official day of mourning was observed in Bengal. The Corporation of Calcutta held a special meeting in tribute to his memory and issued a resolution expressing its members’ deep sorrow. The mayor addressed the assembly:
I rise to condole the passing away of His Divine Grace Paramahamsa Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the president-acarya of the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta and the great leader of the Gaudiya movement throughout the world. This melancholy event happened on the first day of this New Year.
Born in 1874, he dedicated his whole life to religious pursuits and dissemination of the cultural wealth of this great and ancient land of ours. An intellectual giant, he elicited the admiration of all for his unique scholarship, high and varied attainments, original thinking, and wonderful exposition of many difficult branches of knowledge.
With invaluable contributions he enriched many journals. He was the author of some devotional literature of repute. He was one of the most powerful and brightest exponents of the cult of Vaisnavism, his utterances and writings displaying a deep study of comparative philosophy and theology. The catholicity of his views, soundness of his teachings, and, above all, his dynamic personality and the irresistible force of the pure and simple life, had attracted thousands of followers of his message of love and service to the Absolute as propagated by Sri Krsna Caitanya.
He was the founder and guiding spirit of the Sri Caitanya Matha at Sri Mayapur (Nadia) and the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta. The Gaudiya movement, to which his contribution is no small one, has received a setback at the passing away of such a great soul. His departure has created a void in the spiritual horizon of India, which is difficult to be filled up.
That void was a big one—there was no one else like him. There had never been anyone like him before, and nobody could imagine anyone like him coming afterwards.
But then, in 1965, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s humble servant, a grhastha disciple named Abhay Caranaravinda dasa, who after his guru maharaja’s disappearance had been awarded sannasya and the name “A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami” by Sripada Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, boarded a steamer from Calcutta, traveled to New York, and began the Krsna consciousness movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in the West. Bhaktivedanta Swami, or Srila Prabhupada, as he became known, embodied the spirit and teachings and potency of his guru maharaja and fulfilled that desire and prediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura that the holy names of Sri Krsna, of Sri Krsna Caitanya, be propagated in every town and village of the world.
Srila Prabhupada made adjustments, because he had his own audience and particular circumstances. Like his guru maharaja, he was ready to use anything and everything in the service of the mission. He engaged modern technology—tape recorders, dictation machines, electric typewriters, printing presses, computers, airplanes—in the service of the Lord. He sent disciples to Bengal to learn the traditional art of doll making and also used modern technology to create diorama exhibits illustrating the principles of Krsna consciousness and the pastimes of the Lord. Adopting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s idea of theistic exhibitions, he created the FATE (First American Theistic Exhibition) museum in Los Angeles.
So the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is continuing, by his divine grace.
But it is not easy to preach in Kali-yuga. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had many enemies, and Srila Prabhupada did too. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Big preaching means big enemies.” If we just stay at home, or tell people, “I’m okay, you’re okay—everything is okay,” we’re not going to make many enemies, but neither are we going to have much effect. In fact, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sarcastically remarked, mein bhi cup, tum bhi cup: “I’ll be quiet, you be quiet,” meaning, “I won’t disturb you, you don’t disturb me.” But that was not his mood, and that was not Srila Prabhupada’s mood, and that should not be our mood either.
And of course, the holy name: the essence of everything is the chanting of the holy name. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati advised, “Krsna and krsna-nama are not two entities. Krsna is His holy name, and the holy name is Krsna. Krsna-nama is the son of Nanda, Syamasundara. Our only devotional service and duty is sri-krsna-nama-sankirtana. This understanding is auspicious.”
And to one disciple, he wrote:
I am overjoyed to hear that your enthusiasm for chanting is increasing. As our contaminations are removed by chanting, the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes will be revealed to us in the holy name. There is no point in making a separate effort to artificially remember the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes. The Lord and His name are one and the same. This will be understood clearly when the coverings in your heart are removed. By chanting without offenses you will personally realize that all perfections come from the holy name. Through chanting, the distinction that exists between the self and the gross and subtle bodies is gradually effaced and one realizes one’s own spiritual form. Once aware of the spiritual body, as one continues to chant, one sees the transcendental nature of the Lord’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual form of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krsna’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual qualities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krsna’s qualities. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual activities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krsna’s pastimes. By service to the holy name we do not mean only the chanting of the holy name; it also includes the other duties of the chanter. If we serve the holy name with the body, mind, and soul, then the direction of that service spontaneously manifests like the sun in the clear sky of the chanter’s heart. What is the nature of the holy name? Eventually all these understandings spontaneously appear in the heart of one who chants the holy name. The true nature of hari-nama is revealed by listening to, reading, and studying the scriptures. It is unnecessary to write anything further on this subject. All these things will be revealed to you through chanting.
So let us all chant, “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
Thank you very much.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
[A talk by Giriraj Swami given on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s Sarasvati’s disappearance day, December 24, 2010, Ventura, California]
The post Daily Darshan: December 06, 2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
GAURANGA MEDITATION.
When will Lord Gaurahari appear in my meditation and lovingly place His lotus feet in my heart?
His golden effulgence eclipses the splendor of one million lightning flashes. His face is so stunningly beautiful that the full autumn moon wants to hide in embarrassment immediately after it has arisen.
His eyes are like two bumblebees, who feel irresistibly drawn to land on the glistening lotus flower of Lord Jagannatha’s smiling face.
As He ecstatically chants the Holy Name of Lord Krishna, He is tossed about by high waves of ecstasy in the ocean of love.
Streams of tears flow from His eyes while wave after wave draws Him deeper into the kirtan of His own names and qualities.
When He dances, the restless movements of His feet amaze even Lord Shiva, the supreme dancer. The dust arisen from the earth covers Sri Gauracandra as Bhumi’s beautiful offering of flowers… What a nectar shower for the mind!
Again and again He calls out with His hands gesturing towards the Lord of the spiritual sky: “O Krishna, O Mukunda, Murari, O Vanamali – where are You now?”
The light radiating from His lotus toenails uproots the darkness in the hearts of everyone in the universe who remembers Him even slightly, bringing waves of bliss from the ocean of His love. His compassionate words and glance completely drive out all the fear of material existence.
Lord Gaurahari is more purifying than the celestial Yamuna. He is sweeter than madhuka nectar. And more cooling than the winds from the Ganga.
Like a mother who does not distinguish between her various children, He is full of affection for everyone who merely turns to Him.
When will that Lord appear in my meditation and lovingly place His lotus feet within my darkened heart?
Sacinandana Swami
You can offer everything to Krishna (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam Class 11.5.38-40 By Pancharatna Prabhu At Iskcon Chowpatty On 1st...
The mercy of Sri Sri Rukmini Dwarakadish.
I had promised our head pujari in New Dwaraka, “My marathon this year is to worship the Deities,” because so many regular pujaris are sick or traveling. However, this week I went out to do books in spite of having to dress Deities morning and evening. I set up my table at the college with Prabhupada’s books decorating it and it was simply effulgent, it was simply an altar. As punctual as an excellent pujari, Lord Jagannatha sent five sincere conditioned souls to approach this pristine altar, one after another.
1. The first student bought a Gita and described how he had been to a small preaching center in Chile and was very impressed with the treatment he got there and the prasada.
2. Next a boy came by who had chanted and danced with us in the Martin Luther King Parade and he took a Science of Self-Realization.
3. The next student said he was riding his bike on Watseka Ave. and one devotee, Sastra-Krit prabhu, greeted him and brought him into the Bhakti House. He said, “Since then I know I don’t like the way my life is going. I need to go there again.” I invited him to our new version of Bhakti House, called Mantra House.
4. Next, a woman came by who wanted a Science of Self Realization. She said she had the book twice previously and wanted to read it again.
5. One nice girl came by to buy a Gita and she asked, “Do you guys do any rituals where you sit or dance around a fire together and sing? Like American Indians or something?” I replied, “As a matter of fact we are having a huge fire sacrifice this Sunday,” (Gita Jayanta). She was excited hearing about throwing grains into the fire while we chant all the slokas together.
So even though I am technically not doing the book marathon because of tripled Deity worship, due to the Deities’ intense mercy I am on fire, dull iron placed in a fire.
I am an extremely fortunate soul due to the environment of New Dwaraka and blessings and tolerance of the many senior Srila Prabhupada disciples in New Dwaraka.
Your servant,
Karuna Dharini Dasi
Los Angeles
Looking for sadhus, and found one!
I usually pray before I leave for book distribution. I pray that I meet at least one sadhu who I can learn something from, and usually it happens. As I was getting ready and packing my books, about to head for the densely populated (by Arabics) Merrylands in Sydney, I was wondering, “Who is that sadhu I will meet today?”
I hung my Arabic caption around my collar and began searching for the sadhu of my day as I showed books to everybody I met.
There was a nice rhythm going on as well as decent conversations, with a reasonable number of books flying into merry hands in Merrylands. About close to finish time, Billal comes by with his mate and almost says no, but returns for a second look.
After a quick conversation, he says, “I promise to return after a cash withdrawal. Could you wait?” I told him that my car was parked close to ATM, and I suggested that we chat and walk. On the way Billal told me, “The reason I got interested in your books is that we Egyptians long ago used to be a very spiritual people and had a wealth of knowledge about the body, mind, chakras, and the soul. However, in time the succession was broken, and we lost it. It appears in your discipline that the succession has not broken. And I want to read all about it and reestablish this connection.”
I didn’t find out how he seemed to know about that verse in the Gita he alluded to.
His mate listening to our conversation got seriously interested, and they walked me to my car boot after the ATM visit, and both took enough books to fill their hands, along with my contact details for further enquiries on Srimad Bhagavatam.
After the happy encounter and the chat, my little daughter and my 69-year-old mother-in-law, who both went with me to distribute books said, “Well, it looks like you met your sadhu of the day.” Attached are pictures of Billal and his mates. My Arabic caption really works well! Just say Marhaba and see the magic.
Your servants,
Radhika Prasad Dasa
Giriraj Swami: One of my main services is to write, and writing involves much editing and proofreading. Through writing I hope to share my knowledge and realization of Srila Prabhupada, my teacher, and of Sri Krishna, my Lord, and please them. One of my main inspirations in this endeavor has been the description of Srila Prabhupada's teacher, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, as "the transcendental proofreader" 
I was recently in Perth and attended the Sunday program where I led kirtana and gave class. As always, it’s always a pleasure visiting the devotees as well greeting new guests.
There were many nice questions and comments and afterwards I personally thanked devotees for generously donated to the ToVP project in Mayapur.
A few weeks before the fundraising team had visited the temple and were very happy with the result of their efforts.
By the GBC One World Team (passed by Correspondence Vote in September 2017) Summary: "Inspired by the success of the goal-driven model for increasing book distribution in North America, the BBT Marketing and Communications Department would like to propose a "One World Team" approach with an aim to increase book distribution in all temples around the world. By setting a unified worldwide goal and by providing methods by which congregations can be engaged in systematic book distribution efforts, the 'One World Team' has the potential to create a new wave of increased book distribution throughout ISKCON." Whereas the 7th purpose of ISKCON is "With a view towards achieving all aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings." Whereas any devotee who has studied Srila Prabhupada’s life and teachings knows that he wanted his followers to inundate the world with his transcendental books. Whereas the 'One World Team' proposal incorporates a unified world-wide goal-driven approach for book distribution for temples all over the world. Resolved: 1. The GBC embraces the 'One World Team' to cooperate with the expansion and organization of book distribution all over the world. 2. The GBC Zonal Secretary will ratify the annual goals set for the 'One World Team' and will monitor and encourage their zones to accomplish those goals. Continue reading "GBC Midterm General Meeting Resolutions 2017
→ Dandavats"
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Untitled Lecture)
The quality of humility and the quality of being able to develop love of God come together. It is not possible to develop love of God if there is no humility in our hearts. A person who is proud, how can he hear!? His ears are blocked because he is overwhelmed by his own ideas that he cannot even hear what everyone else says. But if one is humble, then one can think, ‘Yes, I need mercy.’
So a humble personality is eager to hear and being eager to hear from superior personalities also brings about special dynamics. When people are eager to hear then the mature vaisnava who speaks opens up his heart. He will automatically, by the eagerness of the audience, become very enthusiastic and he will find that there are so many realizations in his heart that he did not even know he had! Because in the relationship between vaisnavas, the mood is very intimate and close and one of deep friendship; a mood of acceptance. An envious person cannot accept.
An envious person will always find some reason not to accept others, he will always find some quality that is not allowed, something wrong, ‘You can’t sit like that, you can’t look like that, you can’t speak like that…’ and so on and so on. Just on some external feature, an envious person will reject. Basically anyone who is not supporting them, adoring them, recognizing their greatness – such persons are undesirable.
So humility is the quality where one is ready to see good in others and recognizes that everyone can make a contribution which can be appreciated. So amongst vaisnavas there is an atmosphere of appreciation.
Why, how and when “Hare Krishna!” the movie was made and what will be its future (video)
A Class By Yaduvara Prabhu And Vishaka Mataji At Iskcon Chowpatty On 3rd Dec 2017.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Fd2sZo
DEC 2017 – JAN 2018 ISSUE of THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE COMMUNITY OF ISKCON NEW GOVARDHANA (KRISHNA FARM)
Whether you live locally or further afield. the Conch is a great way for you to keep inspired and remain connected to the New Govardhana community.
Updates on coming festivals and events
Reviews of those which have recently passed
Find out who is visiting New Govardhana
Keep informed about new initiatives
Catch up with other devotees
Get seva opportunities
Inspiration from Vedic philosophy and teachings
About the Vedic lifestyle and more…
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
The Glorious Appearance of Lord Nityananda
Caranaravinda dasa and Vaisnavi devi dasi get married
Departure of Bhusaya dasa
Departure of Braja Vallabhi devi dasi
Krishna-izing Our Ecological Footprint
The Distress of Mother Earth
Upcoming Events
Events
Calendar
To read the Newsletter: https://goo.gl/eik9U2